Goa Su-Raj falling back on the Obama effect in Goa

The Goa Su-Raj Party has been giving teeth to the slogan during its election campaigns which says “Small money from a lot of people makes better sense than Big money from a few” Is there anyone in Goa like Barrack Obama ? with similar background, similar capacity, similar age to de-throne the Congress, BJP, MGP and NCP??? It will be a history in Goa if all these parties and MLA's (Members of the legislative assembly) are thrown out of power from the Goa assembly, wrote by Kuwait –based friend Carmo Santos on the Gulf-Goans mailing lists. Among the many replies he got to his post here was one from which took the cake. “There are many like Obama in Goa. Currently Goa is going through a wave of suspicion. Each one thinks the other is corrupt. One of these Obama’s must stand up taking the help of party platform. He must put forth his goals and objectives for the state. Let him be evaluated by people. He must not make a mistake of catering only to Goans but create equality and opportunities to all (or else he will be raj Thackrey in making.). Many have said I am for Goa and for Goan cause...this has not worked...it’s not going to work in these times. On the contrary they have ended up fighting for their own cause.” Goa has for the last fifteen years has earned notoriety for having unstable state government. The records speak for themselves. Digamber Kamat is Goa's 16th chief minister in the last 20 years. This month, Goa in Pale constituency went to elections on November 26 to elect a new legislator in place of Gurudas Gawas who died in June. The constant change in guard has disillusioned people in the coastal state of India and smaller partied like the Goa Su-Raj Party has been fighting to get a firmer foothold among the voters. The voters who have been bribed by inducements in the form of liquor, vote or electronic gadgets to vote by the cash rich national parties, a nationwide trend. The Goa Su-Raj Party has been giving teeth to the slogan during its election campaigns which says “Small money from a lot of people makes better sense than Big money from a few” The world sat up shock-surprised to watch the Barack Obama phenomenon dismantling the over two century old tradition of electing the white-man into the Oval Office. The all pervading mantra “Yes we Can” seems to have shaken the American psyche awake to the realities of the actual world that we live in today where the controls over the boundaries and air-spaces have been eliminated and the world has become just one big global entity where the competitive spirit is the only thing that is recognized as the survival of the fittest. In a way, Barack Obama has proved, in no uncertain terms, that sincerity and the will to move the heavy and mighty road-blocks that may be prevailing in one’s path to success, no matter who you are and what social or financial status you enjoy, that success is all yours and that too in land-slide proportions if you are consistent with the sincerity of heart and the love to do something nice for one’s country, acceptable to most, especially the younger generation. If the winds of change made the usually stuck-up people of America leave aside their infatuations and pride in their age old Republican Party and cross over to vote for a Democrat, a novice at that, this singular action has sent a strong signal world-over that the days of holding the monopoly of Party labels over the people are over. People have become wiser, and they know what they want and how they how it. And if at all they are looking for something different, it is the change in perspective that they are looking for, irrespective of the color of the skin. And far away from the United States of America, Goa is not immune to this captivating flavour. The seed for change has been lying dormant for far too long leaving the stage free and unhindered for the self-aggrandizing actors to hog the lime-light; fill their pockets to the brim and enjoy the pompous grandeur of being in power. But that dormancy is certainly going to be cut short with the winds of change blowing over the entire globe with the United States of America leading the way in the true sense of the word, being the most powerful and one of the richest nations of the world. In their own way, ten years ago, a few Obamas (sixteen in all) thought it right to sign on the dotted lines of the constitution of Goa’s new Regional Party which was designed exclusively through long-drawn deliberations and discussion ways and means to protect and safeguard the interests and well-being of Goa and Goans. Not only that, they went a little ahead to inscribe the seriousness of their determination and resolve, restraining themselves from congratulating themselves on a job well done … considering the very formation of the party was a victory of sorts – with a spirit of self-sacrifice. What has happened to Goa ten years ago was the beginning of the gentle blowing of the winds of change with the formation of the Goa Su-Raj Party. And ten years have passed by when the initial formative resolve is very much in place not allowing the only institution so vital for Goa’s survival to be diluted. And to stick to the basic commandment “Thou shall not give entry to no ex or running MLA into the party.” The reasoning behind this was ( and is) that ‘lack of progress’ of the party, its march ahead is not important but the institution will not be diluted with such entry based on loose foundations. ** (see note) And to match Barack Obama’s “It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause” The Goa Su-Raj Party has been giving teeth to the slogan during its election campaigns which says “ Small money from a lot of people makes better sense than Big money from a few” “Time has come to capture and harness the ‘Obama Effect’ for Goa. This realization must dawn on Goa’s youth more than any one else, for the future is theirs and theirs alone. They must not fall prey to party labels, family traditions and long time associations but must analyze in depth if these hold any future promise for them and their generations to come, says Su-Raj party president Floriano Lobo Two recent political incidents that have taken place must be the eye opener for the youth of Goa vis a vis the party labels in vogue since 1961. One: Ms. Margaret Alva, the high office bearer of the Congress Party coming out against her own party by making a qualified public statement that her party has sold its tickets in the Karnataka Assembly elections, and two: Dr. Suresh Amonkar, a senior leader of the Goa-BJP has revolted against the Party through his resignation from the party for having been left out in the Pale bye-polls and has gone ahead to file his nomination papers as an Independent Candidate. So much for the ideologies of these two leading national parties in Goa’s electoral battle. These things can never happen and shall not happen in a party like Goa Su-Raj where the procedures are laid out and every one must agree if one wants to be the club member. A serious institution which has the welfare of the people of the state and that of the state itself at heart cannot be seen doing turn-overs such as above. This only signifies that it is ‘free for all’ and the sentiments portrayed are only superficial, without any depth amounting to nothing but hypocrisy. For Goans in Goa and the world over, it will be necessary and important not only to remember Barack Obama’s Victory speech ringing-in the much needed change in the political scenario in the U.S., but also to regurgitate on John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech wherein he had told his countrymen ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU. ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY’ “There certainly are Obamas and Kennedys lurking in Goa waiting to be recognized and pulled out from the dark to lead Goa and Goans across the river and to a waiting lush green and water abundant Oasis just like Moses lead the Egyptians across the Red Sea. I for one can distinctly see many such Obamas in the distant ravaged Quepem, Margao, Benaulim, Carmona, Colva, Assolna, and from Canacona to Pernem waiting for what it takes to mobilize them into one lethal action to send a signal to the monsters who have been and are devouring our ‘governance’ head-first, that enough is enough, action which is well whetted with enough self-sacrifices and a will to survive make that survival affordable. And that mobilization must be on a proven and whetted system which is written-down and one that is not half-baked and raw to fall apart at the first sign of victory, to move in different directions as has been happening in Goa since 1961,” says Lobo. And if such laudable self-sacrifices from the sons and daughters of Goa cannot make a whole lot of a difference, then we shall never know what will. Let the ‘Obama Effect’ bring out the best in us, the enterprising Goans.